Wondering Souls

Meatballs ~Camia

My science homework is spread messily across my desk: the once neatly stacked paper piles and perfectly organised pen pots have descended. Now, paper covers the entire top in my efforts to understand homeostasis, and every type of pen from black biro to pink sparkly gel litter the surface. Now that I'm finished, I can finally clear this horrendous mess up. As I rearrange the papers into order so that the one I'll need next is at the top, I hear my mum calling me down to dinner. I turn off my music and head down.

I clatter down the stairs and hear my mum shout, "David, stop drawing on yourself! You might like to use your arms to make mathematical notes but I do not." I grin, this whole thing is hilarious sometimes. David isn't even home.

"What are we having?" I ask as I enter our small but cosy kitchen.

The marked yellow walls smile as I enter and the wooden floor creaks its approval also. Mum informs me we are having spaghetti with morzerella meatballs.

Luciana groans. "Meatballs, why meatballs Mum?" She moans.

"You love meatballs," I tell her. "You just always forget you do." Then I snigger. A felt tip mark has appeared on her face.

"Alright, alright. Just because your counterpart's an artist!" she exclaims in frustration. "Clearly mine has some rubbish friends," she rubs at her face.

"You're wasting your time Luci," I remind her, and hold up my arm to show her the flowers that decorate it. "Might be nice to have an artist, but it is very distracting having these appear when I'm trying to work." Luci and mum laugh. "Will dad be home soon?"

The door opens.

"Nevermind," I mutter, smiling.

Dad comes in, "Smells like food," he grunts.

"Good, I've been cooking," she kisses him. I grin. "You're not you when you're hungry," she reminds him. "Come on."

We eat the meatballs, me picking off the crispy mozzerella because it is absolutely the best part. Luci disagrees- she likes the pasta best. Although I was right, she had forgotten she likes meatballs (a lot). Her plate is empty first.

A thought crosses my mind. "Mum," I ask, "what happens if my soulmate gets a tattoo? Do I get it too?"

She laughs. "No, there aren't any ways to get a tattoo in the Incognita place."

After Dad eventually finishes his food, I return to my room and stare at my arm, wishing my soulmate would make a note of something so I could find them.

"Stop drawing flowers please for once, just let me find you."